How to Create Fulfilling Relationships

Human beings are often called “social creatures,” who need to feel connected to others in order to survive and thrive. Not only do humans need relationships to flourish, research has shown over and over again that those in fulfilling relationships lead happier and healthier lives. Conversely, those who are socially isolated or struggle with maintaining healthy relationships have a lower quality of life than their well- connected counterparts. It’s evident that creating and maintaining gratifying relationships is central to our well-being. The questions, then, are why healthy relationships are so crucial for our welfare, and what we can do to create them for ourselves.

According to research shared on the PBS website, there are several reasons for why healthy relationships are absolutely vital for human beings. Feeling close to a certain group or community fosters a sense of identity in human beings, and makes them feel that they are a part of something that is bigger than them. People also tend to be happier when they are with others than when they are alone. Researchers have also found that this feeling happiness is highly contagious, and the positive effects of connecting with others are long lasting.

Furthermore, those who have healthy relationships with others are also more sociable and helpful than those who are lonely or have fragile relationships. All of us hope to create meaningful and fulfilling relationships in our lives. However, it isn’t always easy to understand how to achieve this for oneself. In order to help you nurture your relationships, we’ve shared Sadhguru’s insight into relationships and how they can become a true blessing for you below:

“Why do human beings need a relationship at all? Whatever the nature of the relationship, the fundamental aspect is, you have a need to be fulfilled. The needs may be physical, psychological, emotional, social, financial, political – they could be any kind. We may claim many things for whatever purpose we have formed a relationship, but if those needs and expectations are not fulfilled, relationships will go bad.

These needs within a human being have risen because of a certain sense of incompleteness. People are forming relationships to experience a certain sense of completeness within themselves. This piece of life is a complete entity by itself. Why is it feeling incomplete? Why is it trying to fulfill itself by making a partnership with another piece of life? The fundamental reason is that we have not explored this life in its full depth and dimension. Though that is the basic issue, there is a complex process of relationships as such. There are expectations and expectations.

If you go about doing management with these things, there is no way you can gauge it 100%. If you try to mind-read the other person and constantly try to fulfill their expectations, you will become a wreck. To some extent you have to do it, but that is not the basis of a beautiful relationship. If you are forming relationships, trying to squeeze happiness out of somebody and that person is trying to squeeze happiness out of you, this is going to be painful after sometime.

But if your life becomes an expression of you joy, not in pursuit of happiness, then relationships will be naturally wonderful. Shifting your life from the pursuit of happiness to an expression of joyfulness is what needs to happen if relationships have to really work on all levels.

Right now, your body, mind, emotions, and on a deeper level, your very energies, are made in such a way that you still need relationships. If your body goes in search of a relationship, we call this sexuality. If your mind goes in search of relationships, we call this companionship. If you emotion goes in search of relationships, we call this love. If your energies go in search of relationships, we call this yoga. All these efforts are just to become one with something else, because somehow, being who you are right now is not enough.

The whole system of yoga is about this. The word “yoga” literally means “union.” Whatever is the longing behind any relationship, you will never really know that oneness. But if you experience all this life around you as a part of yourself, now the way you exist here will be very different. Now relationships  will only become a way of looking towards the others’ need, not about your own because you have no need of your own anymore.

Once there are no compulsions within you and everything that you do becomes conscious, relationships will become a true blessing, no more a longing, no more a struggle.”

Now that you’ve learned more about the human need for relationships, and how to blossom in them, how will you apply Sadhguru’s guidance to your life? We encourage you to share your thoughts with us below.